Forms or molds for constructing concrete steps



7 April 7, 1959 R. R. VARNADO, SR 2,830,491

FORMS 0R HOLDS FOR CONSTRUCTING CONCRETE STEPS Filed March 19, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. l arflcm o, INVENTOR 5R ATTOR/VE Yd April 7, 1959 R. R. VARNADO, SR 7 2,880,491

FORMS OR MOLDS FOR CONSTRUCTING CONCRETE STEPS Filed March 19, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Rana 040k R. l/axwaao,

INVENTOR. 5R. fi m/L r-W ($0M g (fwd,

TTOR/VEYJ April 7, 1959 R. R. VARNADO, SR

FORMS OR MOLDS FOR CONSTRUCTING CONCRETE STEPS Filed March 19, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 5R.

W B 25554461,, a, 16 ATTO/P/VEVJ Ran 0 040/7 R. Varnaoo,

April 7, 1959 R. R. VARNADO, SR 2,880,491

FORMS OR MOLDS FOR CONSTRUCTING CONCRETE STEPS Filed March 19, 1954 4 Shee'tS-Shee't 4 ZOCj INVENTOR,

l.. 61/ J2 W ATTORNEY! 406 R. Var/ma o.

United States Patent FORMS 0R MOLDS FOR CONSTRUCTING CONCRETE STEPS Randolph R. Varnado, Sr., Port Arthur, Tex. Application March 19, 1954, Serial No. 417,261

4 Claims. (Cl. 25-118) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in forms or molds for constructing concrete steps.

It has become the general practice to construct concrete steps as a unitary assembly so that said steps may be produced on more or less a production line basis which greatly reduces manufacturing costs as compared to forming the steps on the particular job; also the precasting of the steps provides for better control not only of the construction but also of the design of said steps. Various types of molds or forms have been in use, one example of which is shown in the patent to Como No. 2,652,614, but these previous types have certain disadvantages in that they are not only more complicated than necessary but none of them are capable of producing steps of streamlined design and unusually attractive appearance.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide an improved mold or form for producing a cast one-piece step unit which is extremely simple in construction, comprises a minimum number of parts and permits manufacture of a unit of stream-line design having an attractive appearance at a reduced cost.

An important object is to provide a form for molding or casting concrete step units comprising a base section having stepped portions which define the top and outside wall of the risers of the treads, an upper section adapted to overlie the base section and having complementary stepped portions which define the bottom and inside wall of the risers of the treads, inner side sections detachably secured to the upper section and defining the inside of the side wall of the completed unit, and outer side sections disposed in spaced relation to the inner side sections and defining the outside of the side wall of the units; all of said sections being quickly and easily assembled and disassembled wherebymanufacture of the step unit is facilitated and may be effectively accomplished at minimum cost.

Another object is to provide a form or mold of the character described, wherein the main sections of the structure may be made of either metal or wood and also wherein the sections are formed so that the corners of the treads are rounded and streamlined; said mold also having provision for recessing the said walls of the completed unit in a desired manner to enhance the design and appearance of the final product.

Still another object is to provide a form of the character described, which lends itself to any size whereby step units having any desired number of treads may be manufactured.

A further object is to provide a form or mold, of the character described, which is so constructed that relatively short bolt elements may be employed for securing the various sections together, thereby eliminating elongate tie rods and more complicated fastening devices which greatly simplifies the assembly and dis-assembly of the sections which comprise said form.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The construction designed to carry out the invention 2,880,491 Patented Apr. 7, 1959 to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof,

wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure l is an isometric view of a form or mold, constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating one outer side section removed and spaced from the main unit,

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the base section,

Figure 3 is an isometric view of the top section,

Figure 4 is an isometric view of one of the inner end sections,

Figure 5 is a transverse, sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a plan view,

Figure 8 is an isometric view of a step produced by the improved form,

Figure 9 is a sectional detail of one of the crank bolts which connects the end wall sections, and

Figure 10 is a similar view of one of the crank bolts which connects the base and top sections.

In the drawings, the letter A designates a bottom or base section which comprises the main supporting unit of the form structure. The letter B indicates an upper or top section which is adapted to overlie the base section in spaced relationship thereto. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the base section is formed of a stepped contour and defines the outer wall of the treads and risers of the finally completed product; the upper or top section is also of a stepped contour complementary to the stepped contour of the base section and this section defines the inner wall of the risers and treads of the completed unit. An inner end Wall C is adapted to be supported up on the top section D and one of these walls is disposed at each end of the section B as is fully shown in Figure 1. The form structure is finally completed by a pair of outer end wall sections D, which areadapted to be disposed in spaced relation to the end wall sections C when the form is in completely assembled position. The area between the base and top sections, as well as the area between the end walls C and D, are for the reception of concrete which is introduced into these various areas and after being allowed to set, forms the completed step unit S,

which is illustrated in Figure 8.

As will be hereinafter described in detail, the various units, A, B, C and D, which comprise the present form structure, are adapted to be removably secured together by means of short crank bolts, which function to-hold the various sections together during casting and also act to assist in breaking out or separating the sections after the casting operation is complete as will behereinafter described in detail. The use of the crank bolts facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the form and generally reduces the cost of manufacture of the completed step unit. One of the features of the present form is that it lends itself to constructing a step unit wherein the various edges of the steps may be rounded to provide a streamlined effect producing a very attractive appearance. The rounded corners of the treads of the steps also have a practical advantage in reducing the likelihood of tripping or stumbling when using the steps.

Referring to Figure 2 wherein the bottom section A is shown, said section includes a main body portion 10 which is preferably formed of metal and which is shaped to form the tread portions 10a and the riser portions 10b; any number of steps may be formed in the body 10. At the intersection between each riser portion 10b and the adjacent tread portion a the body is recessed as indicated at 100. The form is arranged so that the step is formed in an upside-down position, that is, the normal upper surfaces of the treads in the completed unit are faced downwardly during the formation thereof within the form. Therefore, the surfaces 10a and 1017 actually define the outer walls of the treads and risers pf the completed unit and the recesses 10c cause the formation of a rounded portion S1 on the completed unit (Figure 8). A depending skirt 10d is provided on each side of the body 10 and closes the area below the two upper tread sections of the body; these skirts or side members may be suitably welded or otherwise secured to the body 10.

The body portion 10 has its upper end shaped with a recess 102 and it is this recess which forms a 'flange S2 at the base of the completed unit. The body '10 is supported on a plurality of supporting channel bars '11 which extend beneath said body and which are suitably welded thereto. A side or retainer plate '12 (Figure 12-) is welded or otherwise secured to the upper end of the body portion 10 adjacent the sides thereof. This assembly is supported upon and secured to a suitable frame structure 13 which comprises horizontal angle bars 14 and vertical posts 15. All of the parts are welded or otherwise suitably secured. together to form the unitary base section A.

The upper or top section B is shown in Figure 3 and comprises the body 16 which is of a "stepped contour and when the upper section is in overlying relationship to the base section, the steps thereof are complementary or generally parallel to the steps of the body 10 of section A. The section B of a transverse width which is less than the transverse width of the section A whereby when said section overlies the section A the end or side portions of section A extend beyond the sides of said top section. The upper end of the top section is provided with a'recess 17 which will c'o-act with the recess 10e ofsec'tion A to complete the enlarged base flange S2 of the completed unit. The lower end of section B has secured thereto a downwardly extending angle bar 18 which is adapted to rest upon the lowermost tread portion of the section A. The flange functions to properly space the lower end of the top section B from the bottom section A to control the thickness of the risers and treads of the completed unit. The upper portion of the top section B is properly spaced from the upper portion of the base section by means of spacer sleeves 19 (Figure 7). A crank bolt 20 having a nut 21 welded thereon extends through an opening '22 in the section A and threads into a nut 23 which is welded to the section B. It will be evident that when bolt 20 is operated, the sections A and B Wil be drawn together to the extent permitted by the sleeves 19 to thereby control the spacing between the parts. I Any desired number of the sleeves 19 and bolts may be provided and "as shown in Figure 7, two of such sleeves sad bolts are employed. The lower end 'of the sections Aand "B are secured together by crank bolts 20k: which extend through openings 22;: in the top section and through into nuts 231': secured to the bottom section. For the purpose of bracing and adding rigidity to the section B, said section may be reinforced by longitudinal brace bars 24 which may be T- shaped and which are suitably welded or otherwise secured in place as illustrated in Figure 3.

The crank bolts 20a are so constructed that they function not only to secure the top and base sections together during the casting operation, but also these bolts are employed to break out or assist in the separation of the sections after the casting is complete. As shown in Figure 10, each bolt 20a extends through the opening 22d in the top section and has nuts 120a and 12% welded thereto on each side of the body 16tof said top section. The end of the bolt threads into the nut 23a which is welded to the bottom section and obviously when the bolt is turned in one direction the sections A and B are drawn toward each other; upon rotation in an opposite direction, the nut 12Gb acting against the underside of the top section B applies an upward force against the top section to separate said sections. Thus, the bolts 20a have the dual function of holding the sections together and of assisting in separating the same after the casting operation is complete.

After the top section has been disposed over the base section and secured thereto by bolts 20 and 20a, the inner end wall sections C are positioned at each side of the top section B. One of the inner end wall sections is shown in Figure 4 and said section comprises a plate 25 having its lower end of a stepped contour to fit upon the steps of section B. A suitable inwardly directed flange 26 is provided on the plate to provide for stability of the end section when it is placed in position. The upper end of the plate is curved to form a recess 25a somewhat similar to the recessed portion 17 of section B and when the end sections are imposition, the recessed portion 17 of section B is continued by the curved recessed portions 25a of the two inner 'end wall sections C. The upper end of each end wall section C is secured or anchored to the section -B by means of a hinged pin connection 27 and as is well known,- such connection comprises interengaging sleeves with a pin disposed within both sleeves. This type of connection may be readily made, up or separated so as to speed assembly or disassembly of the end wall sections C.

When the inner end wall sections C are in position the plate 25 of each section will define one of the inner walls of the completed step unit. To complete the form, the outer end wall sections D are adapted to be secured in place (Figure 1) and each outer end Wall section comprises a main plate 28, which is adapted to be secured in position by a plurality of crank bolts 20b similar in structure to the crank bolts '20, and crank bolts 200 which are similar in construction to the bolts 20a; since the upper or top section B is of a lesser transverse width than the section A, the positioning of the inner end walls C on section A locates 'said inner end walls inwardly of the side edges of section A to form a space or area 29 outside of said inner end walls. Each outer end section D is adapted to abut or overlie the side edges as well as the entire side of the section A and the spacing or area 29 between the endwall sections C and D is controlled at one end by a vertically extending plate or rib 30 which is welded or otherwise secured to the outer surface of each inner end wall section C. At the opposite end of each section D (Figure 7) the spacing is controlled by the plate 28 'of section D abutting one of the side plates 12 of the base section A and by the hinge pin connection-27 which secures the inner wall section 6 t'othes'ec'tion B. The-crank bolts 20b secure the plate 28 ofeach section B to the adjacent plate 12 and to base section, while the cranks 20c (Figures 1 and '7') secure saidplate =28 to the contiguous plate 25 of the adjacent inner wall section Certain of the bolts 20b extend through openings 31 formed in the skirt 10d and engage nuts (not shown) which are secured to the inner wall surface of the skirt of section A; other of the bolts 20b extend through openings 32 and engage nuts secured to the verticalportion of the end channel brace bars 11 (Figure 2).

As noted, the bolts 200 are of the same construction as the bolts 20a in that they function as break-out as well as fastening bolts. Each bolt 200 extends through an unthreaded opening 122a in the outer end wall section and then through an unthreaded opening 122b in the inner end wall and is threaded into a nut 123a which is welded to the inner surface of the inner wall section C (Figure 9;), After the casting operation is complete the bolts 2Qc may be employed to efiect a separation of the end wall sections since the nuts 120d will apply an outward force to the outer section D.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the outer end wall sections D firmly anchor and tie together the inner end wall sections and the base section; since the base section is connected and anchored to the'top section, all parts of the structure are properly connected together in the desired relationship. As explained, the top section B is attached at its upper end to the base section through the bolts while at its lower end the crank bolts 20a are provided for this purpose.

When each outer end wall section D is secured in position its plate 28 defines one outer wall of thecompleted unit. In order to provide the desired contour to this outer wall surface, the inner surface of the plate 28 is formed with a suitable projection 34 which is properly recessed at 35 so thatthe completed step unit will have the desired quarter-round recessed design generally indicated at S3 in Figure 8. Obviously, the shape and contour of the projection 34 will control the type of design which would appear on the finally completed step unit.

It is believed that the operation and use of the improved form structure will be apparent from the foregoing. When it is desired to cast a step unit, the top or upper section B is placed in a position overlying the lower section A and by means of the crank bolts 20 and spacer sleeves 19, the upper end of the top section is properly secured in desired spaced relationship to said lower section. The lower portion of the upper section is properly spaced by the angle bar 18 and is then secured by the crank bolts 20a. As noted, the transverse width of the upper section is less than the transverse width of the base section so that the ends of the base section are exposed beneath the overlying upper section. The area which is generally indicated at 35 in Figure 5 is the area which will actually control the thickness of the treads and risers of the completed steps. It is this area which is under the control of the spacer sleeves 19 and the spacer angle bar 18.

After the upper section B has been positioned, the inner end wall sections C are properly placed and are connected with the upper section by the hinge pin connection 27. Thereafter, the outer end wall sections D are positioned at the sides of the form and are secured through the crank bolts 20b to the end plates 12 of section A and to the base section A. The spacing ribs 30 which are secured to the inner surfaces of the section C function to control the spacing. Also it might be mentioned that these ribs, together with the spacing angle 18 define the limit of the final step unit, that is, the edges of the unit are formed by these ribs and the angle member 18. The outer end wall sections D are also firmly secured to the inner end wall sections through the crank bolts 20c and thus the entire structure is firmly connected together.

After being assembled, the concrete is introduced into the area 35 between the base and top sections and into the areas 29 between the end wall sections. It is noted that the connecting bolts are all disposed in a plane which is above the final upper surface of the treads with the exception of bolts 20. These latter bolts extend through the spacer sleeves 19 which remain imbedded or cast within the final unit.

After the concrete has set and it is desired to disassemble the form, it is only necessary to rotate the various crank bolts in a reverse direction to unscrew each bolt from its respective connecting nut. When bolts 20c are unscrewed, they function to assist in breaking out the outer end wall sections D of the form, after which the hinge pins in the connections 27 are removed to permit removal of the inner end wall sections. Thereafter, unscrewing of the crank bolts 20 and 20:: will disconnect and break out the top section B from the '6 base section A and all parts of the assembly are readily available for cleaning.

The entire structure is relatively simple and comprises a minimum number of parts. No elongate tie rods or bolted fastenings are required to maintain the form in its assembled condition. The form may be speedily and quickly assembled or disassembled, which speeds up the manufacturing procedure. Also, the particular crank bolts which have been employed actually break out the form after the step unit S has been cast. By forming the structure in the manner herein described, it is possible to produce a step wherein the edge portions of the treads and risers may be rounded to provide an extremely attractive unit. Also, the manner of assembly of the end wall sections makes possible the recessing of the sides of the final units or the casting in of any desired pattern. The final product which is produced is not only extremely practical but has a streamlined effect which enhances its appearance. The structure also lends itself to an accurate control of the spacing between the various sections so that the areas 35 and 29 may be controlled to produce a step having any desired thickness. Although it is desirable that the structure be made of metal, since metal facilitates formation of the various recesses which produce the rounded effect, it is evident that the form may be manufactured of wood or other material.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A form for making a concrete step unit including, a stepped base section, a stepped top section disposed in overlying spaced relationship to the base section and having a length less than the base section so that the ends of the top section terminate short of the ends of the base section, a spacer element between the top section and the base section at the forward portion thereof, bolt elements extending between the sections for maintaining the same in contact with the spacer to hold the sections in the desired spaced relationship, an additional spacer element between the top section and the base section at the rear portion thereof, additional bolt elements extending between the sections for maintaining the same in contact with the spacer element to hold the sections in desired spaced relationship, an individual inner end wall resting upon each end of the top section and removably secured thereto, said inner end walls being unconnected from each other except through said top section, outer end walls spaced from the inner end walls and disposed in parallel relationship thereto, bolt elements securing the outer end walls to the inner end walls and to the base section, and spacer elements between the outer and inner end walls at the forward portion of said end walls, the outer end Walls engaging the base section at the rear portion of the end walls to control the spacing between these parts at said rear portion.

2. A form as set forth in claim 1, wherein the stepped base section has surfaces which define the outer walls of the treads and risers of the completed step and also wherein said section is formed with a rounded recess at the intersection of each tread and riser surface, whereby the longitudinal edge of each step of the completed unit is of rounded contour.

3. A form for making a concrete step unit including, a stepped base section, a stepped top section disposed in overlying spaced relationship to the base section and having a length less than the base section so that the ends of the top section terminate short of the ends of the base section, a spacer element between the top section and the base section, bolt elements extending between the sections for maintaining the same in the desired spaced assume:

relationship, 'co-acting nseam on certain of said bolts and on the sections for forcibly moving the sections apart, an individual inner end wall resting upon each end of the top section and removably secured thereto, said inner end walls being unconnected from each other except through said top section, outer end walls spaced from the inner end walls and disposed in parallel relationship thereto, bolt elements securing the outer end walls to the inner end walls and to the base section, co-acting means on the bolt elements which secure the end wall sections and on said wall sections for forcibly moving the sections apart, and spacer elements between the outer and inner end walls at the forward portion of said end walls, the outer end walls engaging the base section at the rear portion of the end walls to control the spacing between theseparts at said rear portion.

4. A form for making a concrete step unit including, a stepped base section, a stepped top section removably supported in overlying spaced relation to the base v.section, inner end walls which define the inner wall surface of the completed unit supported upon the ends of the top section, hinge means securing each end wall to the rear portion of the top section, said inner end walls being unconnected from each other except through said top ship to the inner end walls and i'emovably secured to saidiiiiierfend'w'a-lls and to the base section, bolt members connecting the top section to the base section, each bolt member extending through the top section and having threaded connection with the bottom section and each bolt having enlargements secured thereto which engage opposite sides of the top section, and additional bolt members connecting the inner and outer'end walls, each of such additional bolt members extending through the outer end wall and having threaded connection with the inner end wall and also having enlargements thereon which engage th'einnerand outer surfaces of the outer end wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 779,288 Lane s Jan. 3, 1905 842,722 Swinnerton .4 Jan. 29, 1907 1,963,866 Peterson June 19, 1934 1,964,660, Buzby June 26, 1934 2,255,480 Conner et a1. Sept. 9, 1941 2,289,439 Kogl July 14, 1942 2,331,701 Kogl Oct. 12, 1943 2,353,676 Kogl July 18, 1944 2,486,683 Sass Nov. 1, 1949 2,652,614 Como Sept. 22, 1953 

